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Topic: Transporting dough for off site pizzas (Read 778 times)

Good morning. I am attempting an off site pizza making session with 9 pies on Monday. I don't use a refrigerated ferment, just a bulk ferment for 2 hours then balling and another 2 hours on the counter befor starting my first pie. I am using forno bravo's Neopolitan dough recipe. My plan is to make and bulk ferment the dough from 8am to 10am. Ball the dough at 10 (in my office kitchen) and leave for a45 minute car ride and 30 minute warm up for my oven (pieson oven). My concern is both the temperature in the car and the temperature in the warehouse I will be making the pies in. What do you suggest?

P;I don't think you will have any problems with what you are proposing. I would not transport the dough in the trunk of my car, but instead, put them into the air conditioned passenger compartment where you can regulate the temperature. Then, an hour or less at whatever the warehouse temperature is shouldn't cause any significant issues.Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

Thanks Tom! On another topic (hydration) I've been adding more water to my dough than FB's recipe (65%) and the rusults have been much crispier crust and more workable dough while stretching. Will this help in the refrigerated ferment? My last two attempts at overnight have produced soft pillow like air filled balls that were difficult to get out of the plastic box containers I use and hard to form. I have been staying with same day room temp ferment since.

What was the finished/mixed dough temperature? If it was too high (above 80F) this might be the cause. Also, high absorption doughs do not hold up especially well as a dough ball as they tend to flow out excessively. A quick fix when using a higher dough absorption is to ball the dough, oil it, then drop it into a plastic bread bag (please not a Zip-Lok) I like to use bread bags. Twist the open end to form a pony tail and tuck it under the dough ball as you place it into the fridge. When you remove the dough ball from the fridge, allow it to temper at room temperature for an hour or more, then turn the dough ball out of the bag into a bowl of dusting flour, then proceed to open the dough ball into a pizza skin in your normal manner. This method pretty well negates any stickiness issues.Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

I don't check the temp as I use room temp water but should after mixing in kitchen aid. Good suggestion to bag the balls. Do do you recommend more than a 24 hour refrig ferment? It seems to be a trend. Also, how can the "master" at Keste bulk ferment right on the counter for 24 hours? I'd this an option for home making dough with AD yeast?